Magic and Hidden Messages
by Blazing Ace
Summary: Harry Potter AU: Alfred is sorted into Gryffindor of course, like any other hero! When he meets Arthur, a second year Slytherin, they clash like two opposing forces. Their battles are simply the stuff of legends at Hogwarts. But as they get older, a different sort of spark begins to fly out of their relationship. US/UK (slow build, ratings will change eventually to M.)
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: NO! I don't own HETALIA, okay? Or the Harry Potter series either! (So... sad...)**_

_**Warning: This fanfiction may contain spoilers from both stories. MxM love. (Everyone get a happy ending!)**_

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**1st Year**

**.**

The Hogwarts express was shooting down plains and fields filled with different shades of greenery, but so was Alfred's face. Seriously, he had never felt more anxious in his life.

Stupid! What was he doing? He was supposed to be a hero… and heroes didn't get uneasy.

"Alfred…" Matthew nudged him and he looked up. The boy across from him looked edgy as well. He had Asian origins, and a head full of shiny black hair.

"I'm sorry, but can you please stop fidgeting like that? You're making me nervous as well." He told Alfred very politely.

Alfred fleeting look around the otherwise empty compartment they were in, then tried to grin at him. "Ah… sorry. You're a first year too?" Alfred deduced.

The boy nodded. "I'm Kiku Honda, nice to meet you." He said, putting his hand out to Alfred, who shook it.

"I'm Alfred F. Jones. This here is my brother Matthew Williams. Yeah we're twins. But we lived in different countries until now. Now we're living with our mom and step-dad in England. And we got seperate custody after our parents divorced so our names are different... yeah." Alfred told him, before wringing his hands again to stop babbling. "Hey, Kiku! Do you know what house you're going to be sorted into?"

Kiku blinked. "No. Is _that_ what you're worried about?"

"Yeah, of course! They said that the houses in Hogwarts decide the type of person you're gonna be for the rest of your life!" Alfred told him seriously.

"That's partially true." Kiku said. "My older brother, Yao, is a fourth year. He's in Ravenclaw and he's pretty smart. Ravenclaw's got the reputation for being the house of the clever students."

"What about the other houses?" Alfred asked curiously.

Kiku shrugged. "Hufflepuff generally takes any student, or so I was told. Slytherin is more picky, and they have a… bad streak shall we say. Gryffindor is for the bravest students—"

"Then that's where I'll go!" Alfred exclaimed with a determined look on his face. "To Gryffindor!"

Kiku smiled at him. "Personally, I'm more worried about the fact that we're going to the castle on boats."

"Really?" Alfred ogled, his face excited. Matthew squeaked beside him.

"First year tradition."

"What exactly... are the s-safetly protocols for the b-boats, Kiku?"

Why was Matthew worrying about boat security? This was genuinely the best thing Alfred had heard since arriving in England. "That's so _awesome_!"

"Whoa, whoa... did someone say my name?" Came a voice from the train corridor.

There was an albino boy peering into their compartment with a mischievous grin on his face. He was wearing a red and gold tie with a roaring lion emblem on it. Alfred had read enough Hogwarts brochures to know by then that the guy was in Gryffindor.

"That we're going to school by boat!" Alfred replied.

The other boy chuckled. "_Oh ja!_ That was the stuff. I remember the giant squid even came up from the black lake to greet us last year!"

"Giant squid?" Kiku and Matthew paled, but Alfred's eyes were wider than ever.

Then there was a crash from outside accompanied by profound cursing and the door to their compartment was opened with a loud bang.

Gilbert tripped inside and was followed by two other boys who nearly fell face-forward onto the floor. They both straightened up immediately. Alfred saw that the new boys each had curled serpents on their uniforms. One of the boys looked gleeful, his honey-colored haired reached his shoulders and his eyes were smiling at Gilbert. The other boy looked livid, his choppy blonde locks were in disarray and his eyes looked more like heated, green coals beneath massive eyebrows.

"Gilbert." He began sternly, addressing the albino. "You have got to be joking! Antonio just showed it to me! Flying carpets are strictly _banned_ in Britain!"

"It was a gift from his friend in Turkey! He couldn't just throw it away." Gilbert said defensively, although he seemed to be enjoying himself immensely.

"He didn't need to bring it to Hogwarts!" Arthur yelled. "Is this the sort of thing you want your brother to learn from you?"

"Well ain't that funny... You sound just like him." Gilbert grumbled.

"What do you expect to us it for anyway? Carpet racing? Playing Quodpot?"

Gilbert's red eyes flicked thoughtfully. "Now that's not a bad idea…"

"What's wrong with playing Quodpot?" Alfred piped up suddenly.

The three older boys turned to him curiously. The boy called Arthur had a disdainful look on his face. "And who might you be?"

"Alfred. You shouldn't insult another country's sport like that!"

Arthur eyes widened as did Gilbert's smile. The albino exchanged a look with the other blonde boy.

"You're American, aren't you?" Arthur said. "I should have known. Just so you know kid, Quodpot is a laugh compared to Quidditch."

Alfred stood up, feeling hurt. It was his favorite sport! "Try saying that when you have an exploding Quod in your face! What do you know about it when you've obviously never bothered to play it!"

"Okay, okay!" Said the long-haired boy when he saw Arthur's ears turning red. "You have both made your point! Personally, I think Hippogriff racing is the best sport—"

"Oh shut up, Francis." Arthur retorted immediately. "Why don't you just go enroll in _Beauxbatons_?"

"_Cheri_, that hurt." Francis replied melodramatically.

"I wasn't done talking…" Alfred glared at them, feeling gutsier than he normally was.

Arthur gave him another condescending look then his eyes turned to Kiku and Matthew, who he just seemed to have noticed. "I'm sorry." He said, in a politer voice. "Who are you?"

"Matthew Williams, this idiot's twin brother." Matthew said in a soft voice.

"I wouldn't have known that, given your names." Francis told him with a wink.

Matthew smiled shyly. Alfred narrowed his eyes at the blond suspiciously. "Yeah, we get that a lot."

"Kiku Honda." Kiku replied with equal demureness.

Arthur gave him a thoughtful look. "You're Yao's little brother, aren't you?"

"Yao's _bruder_?" Gilbert asked, turning to Kiku curiously. "I thought he was sending you to Mou—er, Makaw…"

"Mahoutokoro Wizarding School." Arthur rolled his eyes before enunciating the name with apparent ease. "It's in Japan, isn't it? You decided to come here then?"

"It seemed… logical." Kiku said. "However, Arthur-san I'm sorry. I must agree with Alfred-san on the fact that you shouldn't judge so easily. Quodpot is a well-liked sport in Japan too."

Gilbert and Francis looked like Christmas, New Year and Easter had all arrived early. Alfred gave Kiku a bright smile for siding with him. Arthur had the dignity not to look chagrined at being berated by an 11 year-old, but he fumbled over his words and his cheeks turned red.

"I didn't— I mean… Nobody here plays Quodpot… so I-"

Francis seemed to think at that point that it was enough humiliation for Arthur because he pulled the boy backwards towards him by his collar and waved to the rest of them.

"Alright then, bye bye boys! We nig boys have other things to do!" They were out of the compartment and down the carriage in second.

Alfred could hear Francis's carrying voice gloating cherrily.

"Ooooo, that _has_ to burn! Arthur Kirkland, scolded by two first years…"

"Shut _up_…"

Gilbert chuckled and shut their compartment door, before sitting down beside Kiku. "I'm Gilbert Beilschmidt." He greeted.

"Hello." " Hey." "Hi!" Kiku, Matthew and Alfred replied.

"Nice going Alfie." Gilbert told the boy. "I've never seen _anyone_ stand up to Arthur like that. And you did good too Kiku!"

"What's that guy's problem?" Alfred asked." Is it because he's a Slytherin?"

Gilbert's bows rose. "Well, that's a stereotype. It's true that Gryffindors and Slytherins have always been at odds, but I'm best friends with Francis. He's a Slytherin."

"Oh." Alfred said confused.

Gilbert stared at him for a while, then smirked. "Tell you what. Why don't you see if you can restart the Gryffindor and Slytherin rivalry again? Don't let Arthur show you up! That'll be some fun!"

Matthew and Kiku didn't look like they thought it was a good idea, but Alfred was already pumped up. "Okay!" He agreed. "I'll do it! I'll even join the Quidditch team here if I have to! I'll beat Arthur and teach him how to respect others!"

Gilbert looked happy enough to hug the boy, but he restrained himself.

.

.

"Gryffindor!" The hat boomed, barely having touched Alfred head.

The boy shot up and bounded towards the table where Kiku was saving him a seat. Across from him, Gilbert winked and Alfred beamed in reply. Alfred turned to grin at Matthew who was sitting beside two copper-haired twins at the Hufflepuff table. Matthew shrugged in reply and joined one of the twins in a conversation.

"Weilschmidt, Ludwig."

"It should be spelled with a 'B' not a 'W'." The last first year informed the professor. Alfred looked up to see him climb the stairs up to the stool and watched the professor muttering an apology to him as she placed the Sorting hat on his blonde head. There was a pause. "Ravenclaw!"

"Drats!" Gilbert uttered, smacking the table loudly. "Now he's going to be brainwashed by Roderich the Priss…"

Alfred turned to him. "Is that your brother?"

"Ja… I knew that he was far too brainy for his own good." Gilbert said, glaring at someone behind Alfred.

The feast began soon after the tabby cat sitting on the center chair turned into Headmistress McGonagall and welcomed all the students to Hogwarts, smiling at the rounds of applause she received.

Alfred dug into his chicken leg with gusto when it appeared in front of him. For some reason, his eyes rose up to the Slytherin table where Arthur was pushing his food around somewhat dejectedly, ignoring Francis who was nearly draped over him. He couldn't help but feel sorry for the boy.

"Don't worry about him." Gilbert said, following Alfred's line of vision. "That's just post-traumatic guilt. Arthur'll be a jerk again in the morning."

"I wasn't worrying." Alfred replied, lowering his eyes. Finishing the chicken leg, he picked a meat pie from the dish to his right.

The next time Alfred looked up at the Slytherin table was when he was piling his plate high with jelly and custard. This time he was startled to find Arthur looking right back at him, his hands snugly around a cup of steaming liquid. Arthur didn't even seem to notice Francis stealing an éclair from his plate. He met Alfred's defiant glare and raised his hand in a rude gesture which Alfred was sure most of the second years students didn't know yet.

In response, Alfred displayed something worse with his own hands, much to his glee and Arthur's obvious shock.

.

.

Gilbert was right of course. Arthur was seen arguing loudly the next day with a brown-haired boy from Hufflepuff when Alfred arrived at the Great Hall. Alfred tried ignoring him for the moment, it worked. Arthur sneered at him for a brief second then continued bickering with the other boy.

Alfred didn't have any classes together with Arthur, who was a second year, but they met several times in the castle corridor between classes. Alfred just didn't get why Arthur spoke civilly with Kiku and then looked at him like he was trash.

"Maybe it's because of the way you look at him?" Kiku suggested.

"What way do I look at him?" Alfred asked curiously.

Kiku struggled to answer. "It's kind of… an angry look. Like you're always glaring at him."

"Well maybe I am." Alfred agreed happily.

Alfred first Quidditch match at Hogwarts was exciting to say the least. It was between Slytherin and Ravenclaw.

Arthur, with his sleek, lithe form and his hawk-like gaze was a natural born Seeker. Although Alfred's favorite sport remained Quodpot, he easily saw the attractions of a sport like Quidditch. After all, he used to watch the United States League when he had been living in America and the Fitchburg Finches had been his favorite American Quidditch team.

Alfred thought about trying out for the position of chaser the next year, as his eyes followed Arthur whizzing through the air after Roderich Edelstein, the Ravenclaw seeker. A girl with long brown hair let out a war cry and pounded a Bludger towards Arthur with shattering force.

Alfred thought that the ball would definitely knock Arthur off his broom, but the boy merely craned his neck sideways to dodge the projectile and zoomed ahead faster. Francis caught up with his bat and slammed the Bludger at Yao, who had to drop the Quaffle in order to dodge it. At the last minute Arthur looped in a sharp circle, his legs lifting up in a mid-air handstand, before plopping back onto his broom again as he kicked the Quaffle at one of the Slutherin chasers. As expected, the Slytherin stands came to life with cheers. Arthur's light chuckle could be heard even from their side of the pitch as he welcomed the fanfare with raised arms, one foot resting on his Firebolt 3.0's bipod and the other one swinging in thin air.

"Showoff." Gilbert muttered beside Alfred, but he was grinning.

Alfred rounded on him, his eyes wide. "You mean that wasn't a fluke?" A normal twelve year old boy was just not capable of pulling off moves like that.

"Fluke?" Gilbert asked. "Of course not, Arthur's really good at flying. It runs in his family. His oldest brother's a Beater for the Montrose Magpies."

Alfred's jaw dropped. "His brother's a professional player? They must be really famous!"

Gilbert shrugged. "The Kirklands are already a well-known pureblood family in England. A couple of popular kids are little change to their high-class, aristocratic reputation as a family."

"Well-known already..." Alfred mumbled as his eyes returned to Arthur. Maybe that's why he was such a jerk? Because he'd been raised like a rich prince, nobody ever saying no to him? Alfred was from a middle-class family which had seen quite a few hardships, so he had learnt a bit about humility.

Roderich and Arthur were neck-to-neck again, zooming through the sky after the Golden Snitch. It was leading them on a merry chase, doing zigzags, quirky turnabouts and whatnot. Suddenly, they both had to dive to follow it. They kept going, accelerating, the ground was getting closer and closer and the Snitch didn't look like it was about to stop any time soon. The crowd was gasping, shrieking, shouting for them to stop, but neither did. Alfred saw Arthur and Roderich turn to look at each other for a brief second. A meter from the ground, Roderich pulled up, but Arthur kept going. His hand reached forward like a striking snake and grabbed at something— but it was too late to turn around! Arthur seemed to have realized that too because he threw himself off his broomstick before it tumbled precariously and hovered an inch off the ground, leaving Arthur to careen over it and fall on to the pitch on his back, skidding a through the grass and then stopping with a groan.

But Arthur was grinning too, there between his gloved fingers sat the golden ball. The stands erupted like it was the World Cup. Francis was the first to reach Arthur and immediately pulled the smaller boy into a hug, then the rest of their team joined and began thumping Arthur on the back and shouting with joy.

"Alfred?" Kiku's voice made Arthur realize that he was standing up like half of the other students on the bleachers and clutching the steel balcony hard.

"He could have died!" Alfred exclaimed.

"You should have seen his antics last year." Gilbert told him. "First years aren't allowed on school teams but Arthur was always at the practices. His brothers Liam and Seamus graduated last year, but by then, Arthur was already a part of the team."

Alfred nodded, flummoxed. Arthur and Roderich shook hands professionally while the Slytherin captain Matthias cackled childishly at the Ravenclaw captain Berwald.

Gilbert grinned at Alfred. "Still thinking about beating him in Quidditch?"

Alfred looked up at the albino and grinned confidently. "Big time, Gilbert."

.

.

Alfred didn't know if it was just him, or if it was because he was in a new country... But he just couldn't get the hang of his spells. In America they rarely used _latin_ spells, they were more used to English conjuring.

"Maybe if you stopped reading _Quidditch Through the Ages_ and actually concentrated on your studies!" Matthew told him when Alfred complained about the Hogwarts curriculum to him. "You could go ask that boy at the library to help you. I heard that several first years have asked him for extra help."

Curious as to who this person was, Alfred found himself strolling into the library one weekend, extra early in the morning. It was almost empty. Alfred saw a few Ravenclaw studiously perusing over thick, leather-bound books. Madame Pince was glaring at him from her little corner, her gray hair framing her distinctly vulture-like face.

Alfred was about to leave when a startling sight caught his attention. Two first year students were surreptitiously walking around like they were looking for books but glancing repeatedly at two people as though they were waiting for something. Alfred neared the place and of course…

It had to be him. It had to be Arthur Kirkland helping out first years out of the goodness of his heart.

But Arthur was looking annoyed for some reason. His massive eyebrows were furrowed.

"You're not listening to me." He told the boy sitting beside him. It was a first year Slytherin who had pale silvery hair and violet eyes. It was true, the boy jolted out of his avid staring at Arthur's face and hurried back to his book from which Arthur was explaining something.

"Alfred-san?" Called a voice Alfred recognized from the next bookshelf to his right. "What're you doing here?"

"Kiku?" I was—" Alfred didn't know why his cheeks chose that particular moment to turn pink, he really didn't. "I came here to find you!"

Kiku's eyebrows rose in disbelief. Possibly because Alfred never woke up before 12 pm on weekends. Arthur too looked pissed when he noticed Alfred's presence.

"What are you doing here Jones?"

Alfred's teeth clenched together immediately. "I don't see how that's any of your business. Last time I checked this was a free country, and the library's a public place."

The two waiting students gave them another look and shuffled off, no doubt thinking that it wasn't the best time. Alfred was surprised to see the first year sitting beside Arthur giving him a furious glare. It looked scary, but nothing Alfred couldn't handle.

"Get up, Ivan." Arthur told the boy, picking up the large book. "We can finish this at the common room. I didn't know that Madam Pince was letting trash into the library these days."

Ivan snickered and Alfred imagined choking the boy. He watched until he and Arthur stalked out of the library, before turning to Kiku.

"What was _he_ doing here?" Alfred asked. "Is he giving out lessons now?"

Kiku shook his head. "I don't think so. Arthur-san was trying to be nice to Ivan the other day." Alfred mildly noted the customary 'san' missing at the end of Ivan's name. "Some other students just began asking him questions and he was too polite to deny them."

"I didn't see any of that politeness rubbing of that little brat he was with, did you?" Alfred asked sarcastically.

Kiku gave him a look. "Okay, what _are_ you doing here?"

Alfred sighed. "Okay, look, I need help with Charms." He admitted. "Mattie told me about _this_ but… I'd rather eat dragon dung than ask for Kirkland for _his_ help."

"He has a first name you know." Kiku smiled, taking out another book from the shelves.

"So do I, and he calls me Jones! What, you're best friends with him now?" Alfred asked crossly.

"He's civil to me. I'm civil to him." Kiku said in his end-of-the-conversation voice and Alfred sighed.

"Sorry." He muttered.

Kiku looked up at Alfred's kicked-puppy face and rolled his eyes. "Come with me." He said finally. "My brother can help you with that with Charms if you want... I told you, remember? He's a Ravenclaw."

.

.

"Alfred, we shouldn't be here!" Kiku whispered beside him under the Invisibility Cloak Alfred's had gotten for Christmas. "I believe that this is called stalking!"

"_They_ shouldn't be here!" Alfred replied, watching Arthur and Ivan as they looked out to the Black Lake from the balcony on the Astronomy Tower. "Now _shush_!"

It was the best thing to do in Alfred's opinion! Stalk—erm, _spying_ on Arthur in the middle of Christmas. Not that he had anything better to do. Alfred wished he could have gone home to his parents with Matthew, but they were renovating their new house in England and didn't have any time to spare. So for the time being, Alfred let this form of fun take his mind off things.

Kiku shook his head at Alfred's undying curiosity for the English boy, but cast a heating charm over them nonetheless since it was snowing outside. The weather didn't seem to bother Arthur or Ivan. It was a while before Alfred froze and turned to exchange an astonished look with Kiku when he realized that Ivan was crying.

"Let it out." Arthur was saying, snow falling in clumps in his hair. His hand rose to Ivan's shoulder as he hiccupped. "It's okay, Peeves won't annoy you anymore. I've spoken to him."

Ivan's voice came out muffled. "He'll listen to you?"

Arthur smiled. "He likes three certain troublemaker I'm friends with. If that doesn't stop him, well… he knows that I have a couple of dark spells up my sleeves which can have grave effects on poltergeists."

All Alfred took in from that of course, was the park about dark magic. "You heard that Kiku? I told you that there was something shady going on with Kirkland!"

Ivan's violet eyes shot up to look at Arthur when he placed his hand into the boy's platinum hair and ruffled it. "There was snow." Arthur explained, grinning down at the boy.

"I've… I've never someone c-care after me like t-this before." Ivan spluttered, his breath misting in the cold air.

Arthur frowned. "I thought you had two elder sisters."

Ivan sniffled. "My sister Katyusha tried to help, but she was taken away by my mother when my parents separated. And Natalia... you've probably seen what she's like…"

Arthur visibly shuddered. "Merlin. Even my arsehole brothers are saints compared to her." He turned to Ivan with brilliant smile. "At least she's leaving next year, eh? Small mercy?"

Ivan blinked at him.

Arthur chewed on his lower lip and exhaled. "Go on, smile already." He told Ivan. "You shouldn't even be crying today. It's your birthday isn't it? I heard someone sayin—oomph!"

Alfred didn't know what was happening until he saw Arthur's cheeks flame up and realized that Ivan had his arms around Arthur's waist, his face pressed against Arthur's chest.

"Ivan!" Arthur gasped, his hands pushing on Ivan's small shoulders. "By Salazar, your grip sure is strong— you're crushing me!"

Ivan let go of him immediately and looked apologetic. "I'm sorry." he said with an utterly angelic smile, his tears from earlier entirely nonexistent.

Arthur winced as he massaged his sides but managed to croak out a chortle. "You're okay then… Come on, let's go to the kitchens and get some hot chocolate. It'll warm us up."

"_Da_, Arthur…"

Ivan's eyes were locked on Arthur as he followed the boy walking back down the spiraling staircase of the Astronomy Tower. When Alfred turned to Kiku, he was surprised to see a small smile on his face.

"What could you possibly be smiling about?" Alfred asked him incredulously. "Did you see that? I mean, Arthur the Prince of Dark Arts, and Ivan the Creep of Evil Stuff! If those two become friends, then we'll have the evil duo of the century in our hands! That Ivan dude's real shifty if you ask m— what?"

Kiku just shot Alfred a disbelieving look and sighed.

.

.

Why?! Why did _Arthur_ have to be the Madam Hooch's assistant at the first years' Flying Lessons? He seemed to have a perpetual evil eye on Alfred and looked like he was trying to figure out the best way to make Alfred topple off his broom and make it look like an accident.

At the moment, they were all practicing training exercises for the final examinations coming up the next month. The year sure went by fast enough…

"Kiku, pass." Alfred said, calling for the Quaffle. Kiku was a decent Beater, but he didn't know the first thing about handling Quaffles and threw it several feet too low. Alfred did the Sloth Grip Roll to catch it. "Nice pass, dude!"

"That's the spirit, Jones!" Came Madam Hooch's booming voice from behind him and he jumped. "A nicely handled maneuver by the way! You used to fly back home?"

"I played Quodpot with my friends on the street." Alfred didn't feel the need to explain that those _friends_ had been the older children of insane, scary gangsters who all played violent Quodpot with illegal Quods and cauldrons. "I learnt a few tricks down there."

"Which remains to be seen." Madame Hooch said, looking impressed. "If you don't make the team next year then I don't know who will, young man. I'll put in a good word with your Head of House shall I?"

Alfred shook his head immediately. "I don't want any favors, Ma'am. That'd be unfair for others."

"A good attitude too." Hooch observed. "He reminds me of you last year, Kirkland!" She called out to Arthur who had been glaring unabashedly at Alfred until then. His expression changed dramatically when he spoke to Madame Hooch.

"Of course, professor." He said demurely. "Jones has all the makings of a _great_ flyer. He has the perfect stance... ideal stamina. Might I add, faultless form…"

Alfred wondered if he was the only one who heard the blatant sarcasm in Arthur voice. Apparently he was. It seemed like everybody had temporarily turned blind and deaf because nobody seemed to notice Arthur flipping him off the moment Madam Hooch turned her attention elsewhere. Nor did they see Arthur grabbing a beater's bat to demonstrate something to a first year and knock Alfred clear off his broom.

.

.

Arthur was devil spawn, Alfred decided when the Hogwarts Express reached Platform 9 and 1/3. He watched the boy berate Gilbert when he lit a sixth year's skirt on fire, then douse her completely with water himself, revealing more than any boy would have desired to see. Francis was literally drooling and gave Arthur a grateful thump on the back when the girl ran off humiliated to her carriage.

"Tell me you saw that." He asked Kiku without turning around. At this point, the Japanese boy seemed to think Arthur was the epitome of Godric Gryffindor himself.

Matthew nodded beside him. "I did." He said. "But just so you know, that girl is really terrible. She bullied me no less than twenty times this year."

Kiku smirked at Alfred.

Alfred turned to Matthew with a shocked look on his face. "Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, grasping Matthew by the shoulders.

Matthew gave him a disbelieving look. "You've been busy this year, remember? Stalking Arthur all around the castle, cursing each other and dueling, swearing in a way Mom would murder you for if she ever found out—"

"Please don't tell her." Alfred begged, wincing at the very thought of an angry Amelia Jones.

"In return for what?" Matthew asked and Kiku easily turned his amused snigger into a cough beside him.

"All my chocolate frog cards?" Alfred tried. "What about my Quodpod player figurines?"

Matthew's lips twitched. "All of them? All the cards and all the figurines?"

Alfred inwardly cursed. It had taken five years of his eleven-year-long life to collect those."Yes?" He said reluctantly, biting his lip.

Matthew punched the air in a gesture of victory and Alfred groaned… Summer vacation was going to be _so_ long!

.

.

When they reached the other side of the barrier, Alfred found himself standing right beside Arthur who standing with a red-haired man who was attracting quite a lot of attention from the Wizarding crowd. He was wearing dragonskin boots, an expensive looking jacket, and had a lip and an eyebrow piercing. Kiku disengaged politely from his brother's side and walked over to Alfred.

"Alfred-san," Kiku whispered into Alfred's ear at his confusion. "That's Alistair Kirkland, Beater of the Montrose Magpies."

But even as Alfred stared, Arthur scowled and shuffled half-heartedly in front of Alistair. He seemed to be arguing with his brother. Familial troubles? Alfred suddenly remembered Arthur calling his brothers _arseholes _at the beginning of the year... so something had to be up.

So since Alfred's parents were yet to arrive, of course Alfred was going to eavesdrop—err, investigate!

"…no way I'm going back there! I'll live in the estate…"

"… Alone? You could go stay with my friends—"

"Alistair, I'm not leaving England…"

Alfred's stomach did a small tumble. Was Arthur leaving? For some reason, to Alfred's utter surpirse, he couldn't really decide if he was pleased about that or not.

Why couldn't he? He hated the boy... right?

Alistair wove a hand through his hair and looked pained. Arthur ignored his brother and pushed his trolley past him towards the exit.

"I won't change my lifestyle. No matter what you say or do." Alistair called after him.

"I understand." Arthur said as he walked away. "You came to see me when I didn't expect you to. That's enough for me."

Alistair shot Arthur's back another last look and to Alfred's surprise, he walked off in the other direction.

"That was odd." Matthew commented from beside Alfred, obviously having witnessed what he had.

Alfred nodded, watching his rival's back getting smaller and smaller as he walked away- then he noticed the blonde hair and cheerful smile of a beautiful woman not too far away from them.

"Look! There's Mom! C'mon Mattie, let's introduce Kiku to her!" Alfred yelled, thoughts about Arthur already forgotten as he rushed to greet the woman they hadn't seen in a year.

* * *

**AN/:** LOVE my readers sooo effing much! Like... soooooo much!

(Sorry for the typos...) this was a plot bunny I just _had_ to put up after I put up my NEW Albus and Scorpius Hogwarts fic!


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Some ****_new pairings_**** in this chapter... They're SLIGHTLY hinted at. (Well some more so than others... XD)**

**.**

**PS. This is ****_NOT_**** going to become an Ivan/Arthur fic, I can assure you. [Poor Ivan just never really had any other good models to look up to! Don't worry, I'll give him someone else in the next chapter.**]

**JEEZ, I really hope Alfred and Arthur stop being jerks to each other and get it on soon... (^~^)**

* * *

**2****nd****year**

**.**

It wasn't at school that the two of them met again.

It was at Diagon Alley inside Quality Quidditch Supplies. Their parents were out somewhere shopping for owls for them. Alfred shuddered when he saw the spiked Bludgers chained down on the display in the shop.

"Reminds you of home, doesn't it?" Matthew told him grinning.

Alfred glared at him. "None of the street kids ever seemed to notice _you_ while we were playing, they only attacked me with those."

Matthew laughed. "What can I say, sometimes it helps being invisible."

The proprietor of the shop walked up to them. "What can I help you lads with?"

"We're looking for brooms." Alfred told him.

"If you want easy rides you have the Comets, but if you want racing-brooms then you have the Firebolts through here—"

"We were wondering..." Alfred interrupted. "You wouldn't happen to have any American brands would you?"

Alfred and Matthew had been saving up for this all year. The man gave them a once over and nodded. "Americans, are you?" He asked, reminding Alfred eerily of Arthur.

"I'm Canadian." Matthew corrected automatically, but the proprietor just ignored him and walked further into the shop.

"We have three American League brooms." He told them, pointing. "The Canons are over there. Those are the Torpedoes and that's—"

"The Lightning, dude!" Alfred breathed as he took it in, starry-eyed. She was a true _beauty_! The proprietor smiled at his excitement. "What are her specs?"

"Zero to three hundred miles per hour in ten seconds, same as the Firebolt 3.0." He said. "Unbreakable Braking Charm, balance and precision, polished mahogany handle. The twigs come in either cedar if you want it lighter, or ash wood if you want better shock absorption. Comes with a free bipod and Broom Compass."

Alfred turned to Matthew who simply nodded at him. "Sweet!"

"Which ones then boys?"

"Lightning, please, cedar twigs." Said Matthew the same moment as Alfred yelled. "The one with the ash wood twigs!"

The proprietor blinked at them, then shrugged it off and went to get them their brooms.

"We'll need gloves as well." Matthew commented. "Do Keepers and Chasers wear different gloves?"

Alfred was about to tell him that he had no idea when the door to the shop opened again with a small ring. The proprietor, who had just walked back out carrying two wrapped brooms for Alfred and Matthew handed it to them hastily and rushed towards the newest arrival. "Mister Kirkand!" He said, making Alfred turned around so fast he felt his neck crick.

Arthur was looking bored as he waved a hello to the proprietor who almost bowed to him.

"Your mere presence is a pleasure."

"Don't say that." Arthur said tiredly. "That what they said when I went to get ice-cream a while ago… and my school books before that."

The proprietor chortled. "What'll I be getting you then?"

"Just a Broomstick Servicing Kit for my Firebolt, thanks."

The man scurried off in a flash and Arthur's gaze fell on Alfred and Matthew. He sneered. "Buying brooms already! How presumptuous… I'm not as worried about Williams as I am about you, Jones. Are you _that_ sure you're going to even pass the tryouts?"

Alfred walked up to him and smirked when he realized that he was about the same height as Arthur. "Grown a heart, have you? That's unlikely. Although, I _am_ touched by your concern, your Highness." Alfred replied, bowing with a flourish.

"Stop it." Arthur said, his face immediately imitating a ripe cherry.

Alfred growled at him. "Why? I thought that you purebloods loved the attention!"

Arthur's face dropped like a rock. "You little git. You have no idea about anything yet you've got no problem mouthing off about my life! You know nothing!" Arthur's voice was venomous. The moment the proprietor arrived with his kit, Arthur threw two galleons onto the cashiers desk and spun on the spot, striding out without another word.

"That was a bit mean, Alfred." Matthew softly told Alfred once the proprietor had herded them both outside.

"Oh please don't start worshipping him like Kiku does." Alfred pleaded angrily.

Alfred didn't know why, but he had recently found out that he absolutely _hated_ it when Arthur turned his back on him.

"I don't." Matthew replied. "But you shouldn't have called him… _that_. You know, 'pureblood'. Remember what happened at Kings Cross with his brother? I heard he lives alone and all—"

"Mattie, if you're trying to appeal to my softer side…" Alfred interjected. "…it ain't working."

Matthew sighed dejectedly. "As you wish."

Alfred grinned at the broomstick in his right hand and grabbed Matthew's wrist with the other. "Come on! Let's get to the Owl Emporium before Mom buys me a tawny instead of an eagle owl!"

.

.

On the Hogwarts Express, Matthew immediately walked over to a pair twins Alfred now recognized to be Lovino and Feliciano Vargas. Alfred waved a momentary goodbye at his brother and set out finding an empty compartment with Kiku. They were all full. As Alfred passed the carriage Arthur was in he was surprised to find the boy completely ignoring him, turning his head away the moment their eyes met and staring adamantly out the window.

Alfred ignored the way his jaw clenched at the sight and shrugged as he moved on. The last compartment of the last carriage only had one person sitting in it. It was Ivan Braginski. Alfred noticed that the boy had grown at the same rate as he had during the summer.

"Yo, dude!" Alfred said, pulling the compartment door open. "Can we have those seats?"

Ivan's violet orbs looked Alfred over expressionlessly but he nodded. So yeah, Alfed still thought Ivan was a creep, but unlike Arthur who seemed to be a lost cause, Ivan was still young and impressionable. Maybe they could still be friends.

The ride was passing in silence before Alfred couldn't take it anymore. "So…" He began. "Tons of Quidditch players left last year. We'll have some decent chances! Kiku's gonna be a Beater. You up for it too dude?"

Ivan looked up at them. "I want to be a Beater too." He said, nodding at Kiku.

"Sweet!" Alfred said. "Let's have a nice match then bro!"

The looked Ivan gave him then seemed to chill the whole compartment. Alfred's smile turned into a scowl and Kiku looked between them worriedly.

"What?"

"I'm not your 'bro'." Ivan said.

"It's a figure of speech." Alfred snapped.

"I do not take that word lightly."

"Jeez, sorry." Alfred said, sounding anything but.

Kiku looked like he wasn't enjoying the way things were escalating and interjected at that point.

"Ivan-san, I heard that you are good friends with Arthur-san now?"

It seemed like that had been the right thing to say because Ivan brightened up infinitesimally. "_Da_, that I am."

Alfred simply grimaced. "I don't get how that jerk can be friends with anyone. Every time he looks at me, I just see the words 'screw you' shooting out of his eyes."

Ivan seemed a little annoyed at first, but then his expression relaxed. "Is that what you really think?"

Alfred shot him a confused look. "Yeah."

"Good… That's good." Ivan murmured to himself. Alfred turned to give Kiku a _do-you-think-Ivan's-mental-too-_ look, but saw Kiku worrying his lip, his eyes fixed on Ivan.

"I think Arthur-san is a good person." Kiku said suddenly.

Alfred could practically see Ivan's hackles rising at the comment. "Why would you say that?"

"Do I need a specific reason to find him nice?" Kiku replied.

Ivan carefully scrutinized Kiku, then shrugged. "You Gryffindors gave Arthur and his friends a lot of trouble last year."

"Not me." Kiku said.

Ivan didn't seem too bothered. "Whatever."

"You know, for someone who's boasting like he's Arthur best friend, you two don't seem _that_ close. How come you're not sitting with him right now?" Alfred didn't know what made him say that out loud.

Ivan immediately rose, his fingers quivering as if he wanted to grasp his wand. "He has other friends."

Alfred stood up too. "If you socialized a bit, you'd have a few more too!"

That made Ivan draw his wand. It was so pale and grey that it looked like it was made out of frost. Alfred pulled his own wand out of his jeans and pointed it at him.

"I don't need anyone else! I just want Arthur!"

It seemed like a strange thing to say, but Alfred was just a bit too young to understand the gravity of that little sentence unlike Ivan. Kiku however, looked stricken as the two boys squared up to each other with wands held aloft.

"…the trolley?" Came the voice of the Honeydukes Express lady. "Anything off the trolley for you, my dears?"

Alfred and Ivan hastily replaced their wands back into their clothes and Alfred coughed awkwardly, pulling out his wallet. "Umm, yeah. I'd like a box of chocolate cauldrons, jelly slugs, four pumpkin pasties, and a pack of wizochoc."

"Nothing for me." Ivan muttered.

"A packet of sugared butterfly wings for me." Kiku told the lady.

After she handed them their purchases, there was a tense silence in the room. Alfred seemed to have realized that he had touched a nerve somewhere in his conversation with Ivan and tried carefully to tip-toe around it.

"Hey." He said, throwing one of his pumpkin pasties to Ivan who caught it with precision. "At Quidditch, may the best man win."

Ivan didn't smile at Alfred, but he unwrapped the pasty and bit in.

It was a temporary truce, Alfred guessed, but it was good enough for now it seemed.

.

.

As they entered the Great Hall, Alfred spotted Gilbert who untangled himself from Francis and a friend of Matthew's from Hufflepuff called Antonio, and strutted towards them.

"Hey Alfred! Kiku!" Gilbert said, fist-bumping both of them. "Hey so… I'm planning on holding the tryouts early this week. We have tons of positions to fill and lots of practices to get the new members functioning like a team."

Alfred nodded energetically until he realized something. "They made you the captain? But you're a third year!"

"Matthias, Lars and Bella all left last year. I was the next in line." Gilbert said, leading them to the Gryffindor table. "I want you two to make the team, so be prepared!"

Throughout the Sorting Hat's welcome song and the sorting itself, Alfred's eyes couldn't help but flicker over to the Slytherin table where Arthur was sitting with Ivan. There was a small smile constantly etched on his face whenever he spoke to the younger boy.

"Alfred-san." Kiku nudged him with his elbow. "You're staring."

Alfred grunted and looked away, only to turn back a couple seconds later.

"Alfred-san…" Kiku said exasperatedly. "Look there, that's my cousin Yong Soo Kim, and the other one's Meimei."

The boy under the sorting hat was placed In Slytherin and the pretty girl went to Ravenclaw. "Nice..." Alfred said in monotone.

"If you want to be friends with Arthur-san then—"

Alfred stared at Kiku, wide-eyed. "_What?_ No! What made you think I— Look, I just don't think that _they_ should be friends! I mean look at them!"

Alfred and Kiku turned just in time to see Ivan narrowing his eyes dangerously when Francis pulled Arthur back into his conversation.

"So, you're worried about Arthur-san?" Kiku guessed.

"No I—"

"What was that? Who's worried about Arthur?" Gilbert asked curiously from Alfred's other side.

Alfred thought that it felt sort of like a déjà vu. "I'm not worried about him." He told them patiently and adamantly turned back to Headmistress McGonagall who was explaining something about a Dueling club people could sign up for that year.

Hmm… something to look forward to this year after all.

.

.

Alfred was on his eighth lap around the pitch, and he was well ahead of the rest.

"Nice going Alfred!" Gilbert's sonorous-amplified voice roared. "Come on you slackers, two more laps to go!"

By the time they finished, Gilbert had them grouping up for the tryouts for each position. "Right, here are the rules people." He yelled. "Just because you made the team last year doesn't mean you'll be signing up this year too. Now, I'm Captain and I'm a Chaser, so we'll still be needing two more. But I'd rather start with the tryouts for the Seeker first. Then, we'll have the beaters, followed by the two Chasers and finally the Keeper. Got that?"

"Yes!" They all replied.

The seeker tryouts began. Several spelled Snitches were released and the students had to capture the most. Then there was a fun exercise in which they all threw golf balls at the plays and they either had to dodge the projectiles or catch them. Finally there was the one where Gilbert handed out five Beater bats among the students and had them beating bludgers at the potential Seekers.

Alfred however, saw the genius of Gilbert's plan. Along with the watching the Seeker exercises, he was also keeping an eye on the other students, watching for those who had a good aim with the golf balls, or were good with the bats. In short, he was holding a mini-tryout for the other players as well.

"Right!" Gilbert said by the end of their exercise. "Let's move on to the rest."

For the beater tryouts, Alfred decided on staying behind a perpetual Protego shield after he was almost knocked out nearly six times by several mishits. Kiku was doing wonderful though, Alfred saw him dodge two Bludgers simultaneously and hit one with a back-hand swing towards a player who fell straight off his broom.

"That was a nice backbeat from Kiku's …" Gilbert commented.

"Oi! Watch it!" Yelled a voice behind them and Alfred turned to see that the Slytherin team making themselves at home on the wooden bleachers, one of which had a hole through it where a bludger had presumably just crashed through.

"Here to spy on us?" Gilbert yelled back good-naturedly at them.

Francis winked at him with an arm around Arthur's shoulders. "You bet, mon ami!"

Alfred stared at Arthur but the other boy was still ignoring him. It didn't matter, Arthur would watch when it was his turn to show his skills. His very presence ignited a sort of competitive spirit in Alfred. He lowered the shield charm, and grabbed a Beater's bat from the ground, and swung it with all his might at one of the Bludgers hurling towards him like it was a baseball.

There was a loud crunch and the bat splintered, but the Bludger went flying clear off the Quidditch pitch, nearly taking a player's head along with it.

"Homerun!" Alfred shouted, not caring that probably nobody at Hogwarts caught the reference.

Alfred didn't need to look at the Slytherins on the stands to know that they were impressed, their gasps had been proof enough.

He saw Gilbert eyeing the cracked bat in his hand with a raised eyebrow. "You sure you want to be a Chaser? With an arm like that?"

Alfred nodded assuredly. "Strength isn't everything. I can't aim with a bat for shit. My Bludgers will go anywhere. Now, with a Quaffle…"

Gilbert grinned at him. "Big talk Alfie. Show me what you got then!" He said, pushing Alfred into the pitch.

The Chaser tryouts were started right then. Gilbert himself flew up to assist this time. The moment Alfred's feet were off the ground, he felt control surge through him. The Quaffle was released and Alfred had his hands on it already. He made sure not to commit any of the fouls his Quodpot buddies used to and barreled through the other players, shooting the ball through the middle goalpost from a distance of a good five meters.

The next time he got the Quaffle, he reached the three goalposts before the rest of the team even noticed where it was.

"You're fast!" Gilbert yelled at him.

"So would you be if you had a spiked Quaffle about to explode in your hands!" Alfred replied, grinning as he languidly tossed the Quaffle through a goalpost and looped through the air to get it back himself. "We should really play Quodpot sometime, Gilbert!"

The solo scoring exercise went on for a while.

They were assigned two more partners next for team play evaluation and Alfred found himself with Gilbert and a chocolate-haired girl who had caramel skin.

"Really?" Gilbert asked, panting. "The Quaffle explodes on you?"

"I told you Quodpod was a hard sport to play." Alfred told Gilbert, pulling his Lightning up beside Gilbert's Firebolt.

"That may be!" Gilbert said. "But I'm sure you didn't have Bludgers flying at you." He swerved away as a bludger came right between their brooms, courtesy of Kiku who saluted at them and picked up another one.

Alfred did in fact have experience with Bludgers flying at his face… scary, lethal ones with spikes. He easily darted around the sudden barrage of balls coming from the other trio of players. Gilbert was checked as the caramel-skinned girl in their team tried to throw the ball at him, and an opponent flew off with his steal.

Alfred urged Lightning forward until he was directly under the opponent's then kicked off his bipod, one hand still on his own broom while both his feet kicked the other player's broom. Not hard enough to make him fall but just enough to make him drop the Quaffle in surprise. Alfred caught it and reverse passed it to the tanned girl who caught it deftly and winked at him.

Gilbert flew up to him with a pained smile on his face.

"What?" Alfred said worriedly. "That wasn't a foul was it?"

"No…" Gilbert said. "It's not illegal, but nobody does moves like those in school because they're considered to be too dangerous. McGonagall would have you off the team of she saw that."

"Jeez, sorry I guess!" Alfred told him.

"Nah, don't. Heck, I think its cool." Gilbert shrugged. "That move's got a name by the way. It's called a Speelman Steal. "

"Really?" Alfred asked frowning. "My friends used to call it the 'sucker kick'."

"What type of _friends_ did you have?" Gilbert asked, his grin wolfish.

Alfred chuckled. "I gotta tone down my moves right? Got it!" He said, flying off towards the girl in their team.

"You're gonna be full of surprises, aren't you Alfred?" Gilbert called after him and he smiled back.

.

.

By the end of the day the Gryffindor team was remade. Alfred had been chosen as a Chaser along with Gilbert and the girl they'd teamed up with, who was called Sesel. Lili, a slightly tomboyish girl with an angelic face had been chosen as the Seeker. Her vicious looking step-brother, Vash Zwingli was Beater alongside Kiku. The Keeper was the same boy as last year, boy called Tino.

"Nice catch this season?" Called Arthur voice as he came striding up to them with Francis and the rest of his Slytherin's Quidditch team. Alfred noticed that Ivan was present among them and wondered what position he had gotten.

"Awesome." Gilbert replied, grinning at his team proudly.

"I see my cousin was chosen!" Francis said, waving enthusiastically at Sesel who rolled her eyes.

"_Ta gueule_, Francis!" She grumbled and Alfred could tell it was something very rude in French when Francis winced. Arthur laughed.

"How did your tryouts go?" Gilbert asked Arthur.

"You're the captain too?" Alfred said incredulously before Arthur could answer. The boy turned to face him for the first time since the school year began and grimaced.

"Lukas should have been given the title." He said, sounding surprisingly bitter about his position. "Not me."

The boy he had been referring to gave him a small grin and shrugged. "You're the better flyer, Kirkland. Besides, I'm too busy. Fourth year's potions and spells are beginning to take their toll."

Arthur's lips twitched in slight amusement. "Anyway, our first matches are beginning soon." He told Gilbert. "I heard you're commentating for a few?"

"So's Francis." Gilbert said, guffawing and slapping Francis a high-five.

"Good, I'll look forward to beating you then." Arthur told them, his eyes brushed over Alfred before he walked away from them like some evil overlord.

"Alfred?" Gilbert said, and Alfred looked up to see the same sort of determination he had was etched on Gilbert's face. "Let's beat the shit outta them!"

"You're on!"

.

.

Alfred first match was a Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff. They won of course, but it hadn't been easy. The Vargas twins were the new beaters and their Dopplebeater Defence had been superb. Antonio Carriedo, their ace Chaser had been a hard guy to get past and Matthew had been a stellar Keeper. In the end, the game's deciding factor had been the play been between Lili and a jumpy Ravis, and the Gryffindor team had caught the Snitch.

What Alfred was worried about was their next match, against Slytherin. He and Gilbert had snuck up to observe some of their practices only to see Arthur training them for hardcore offense. It looked like Ivan had secured his position as a Beater after all.

Their match took place on a fairly sunny day.

"Good morning all students and teachers, boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen!" Called the voice of a girl who was commentating. Alfred recognized her as one of the Ravenclaw Beaters. Gilbert swore at the sight of her as they were leaving the locker rooms.

"_Scheiße_! Elizabeta's voice is gonna be like a grater in my head throughout the whole game!" He growled.

"Fairly a few new recruits for both teams, so we shall have to see how the match progresses!" Elizabeta yelled into the magical megaphone. "So now here's welcoming the Slytherin team! We have: Steilsson, Bondevik, Łukasiewicz, Adnan, Braginski, Bonnefoy aaaand Kirkland!"

They tore through the air in a flash of silver and green, some of them performing acrobatics in the air to please the screaming crowd.

"I'm sure I don't have to tell you all what a hottie this year's Captain Kirkland is-"

Alfred could see Arthur's red blush from the other side of the pitch.

"Elizabeta!" McGonagall barked.

"Sorry Professor! Anyways, the Gryffindor team looks stable as well! Say hello to: Väinämöinen, _Beilschmidt_, Jones, Bonnefoy, Honda, hot-headed Zwingli aaaand cute Zwingli!"

They did a lap around the pitch. "What was that weird emphasis on my name for?" Gilbert shouted to Elizabeta with a nasty glare when they flew by the commentator's podium.

Madam Hooch was standing at the crate of waiting balls. Gilbert and Arthur shook hands and the whistle was blown.

"And they're off!" Elizabeta screeched. "Gryffindor is possession! That Jones is a beast! We've seen some of his unorthodox flying style during that match against Hufflepuff. He's passed the first block, oooh, the second one—no! A well orchestrated body blow by Adnan and Bondevik, Alfred drops the Quaffle but manages to stay on his broom!"

Alfred cursed as the tanned boy flew off with a smirk. He quickly realized that Arthur's role wasn't only playing seeker. He'd blocked Gilbert off completely and Sesel had been busy dodging relentless Bludgers from Francis. Alfred hadn't been able to pass at all.

"Slytherin scores!" Elizabeta yelled. "Nice feint by Łukasiewicz there!"

Alfred ducked as a Bludger nearly unseated him. He turned midair to see Ivan veering off with a malicious grin on his face. That had been too close!

Madam Hooch seemed to have noticed too because the whistle blew. "Unprovoked violence by the new Slytherin Beater Braginski. Jones gets a free shot!"

Alfred caught the Quaffle which was thrown at him and shot easily with his back to the goalposts. As he expected, there was a loud cheer from the Gryffindor stands which indicated that he had gotten it in.

"Now that's what I call suave!" Elizabeta's voice boomed. "You rock American boy, ten point for Gryffindor!"

Alfred chuckled and tried to find Arthur, who was looking flushed and angry. He pulled up beside Ivan and Francis and whispered something into their ears before shooting off.

Before Alfred could warn the others, Francis's Bludger hit Tino in the face and he momentarily descended, leaving the Gryffindor goalposts wide open. Arthur, Ivan and Francis blocked the Gryffindor Chasers while their three used the window of opportunity to score forty points.

"That, dear spectators, was a Montrose Magpies move if I'm not mistaken! Kirkland's sure got right brains for the captain's job alright!" Elizabeta said appreciatively.

The match went on gruelingly. For every point the Slytherin's scored, the Gryffindors got it back. The Snitch was nowhere to be found. The game got progressively more violent. Ivan's Bludgers kept attacking only Alfred for some reason. Suddenly, Lili went down into a sharp dive, a moment later Arthur was beside her. Alfred saw them bumping into each other aggressively.

"The Seekers are now on the Snitch! Look at them go!"

They were both a hair's breadth away from the Golden glimmer now, both had their arms raised, Lili seemed to have the advantage as the Snitch veered slightly to the right.

Out of nowhere, Alfred's honed sixth sense felt a Bludger tearing after him. He moved his head out of its path at the last moment and it swished past his ear... but Feliks who had been flying in front of him was not so lucky. The Bludger caught him hard right at the back of the head and he fainted immediately, falling of his broom to gasps and shout of alarm from the stands. On the way to his fall he collided into an unfortunate Lili, who had been so focused on the Snitch that she hadn't noticed the boy falling right at her. They would have both crashed to the ground if Alfred and Vash hadn't reacted instantly and rushed forward the way they did.

By the time Arthur had turned confusedly with the Snitch in his hand, to laughter and cheers from the Slytherin stands, Alfred was holding up an unconscious Feliks on one end of his Lightning and Vash was trying to stop the profuse bleeding from Lili's broken nose.

.

.

"Congratulations on winning, Kirkland." Alfred shot scathingly, enjoying the way Arthur shoulders froze up at his words. He'd been waiting for the boy to come out of the Slytherin locker rooms for a while now. Arthur's hair look darker now that it was wet, patches of his shirt were sticking to his skin.

"I asked Madam Hooch for a rematch." Arthur said, his back to Alfred. He didn't turn back around to face Alfred. "She said we couldn't have one, since the Snitch had been caught."

"Ivan aimed that Bludger at me." Alfred bit out, pushing off the wall he'd been leaning against.

"That a problem between you and him, not me." Arthur replied, equally incensed. "He told me that he couldn't stand the sight of you."

"How the heck is that my fault?" Alfred asked, enraged.

"Who knows? There has to be a reason. Maybe it's the same reason why I can't stand you either?" Arthur's back was still turned to him.

Alfred walked over to him and grabbed Arthur by the elbow, spinning him around. He was pleased to find himself an inch taller than Arthur. Tightening his fist, Alfred pulled it back and slammed it straight into Arthur's cheek. The boy fell backwards against the wall behind him and Alfred loomed over him with rage in his eyes.

"Your teammate, Feliks, he could have died today!" He yelled. "Lili's lying in the hospital wing with him with a couple broken ribs and blood gushing out of her nose and that's all you can say to me? How much you hate me?"

Arthur cradled his jaw in his hand looked up at Alfred with a grim expression. "Thank you for saving Feliks." He finally told Alfred tight-lipped.

Alfred let out an exasperated growl and grabbed Arthur's shoulders, shaking him. "What is wrong with you? I'm asking you to control Braginski!"

"I'm doing my best!" Arthur spat, trying to wrench out of Alfred's hold. "He promised that he'll never do it again!"

Alfred shook his head in disbelief, his tight grip on Arthur's shoulders keeping him against the wall. "Don't you feel sorry at all?"

"I'm sorry alright! There, I've said it!" Arthur shouted back at him. "Are you happy? Can you please let me go now?"

Alfred removed his hands which turned into fists again as Arthur began to march away from him.

"What _is_ that?" Alfred said, feeling angry at himself. Arthur ignoring him shouldn't affect him as much as it did. "What's with that high and mighty attitude of yours?"

Arthur stopped in his tracks. Turning around slowly, he glared once and stalked back towards Alfred. "You obviously want to tell me something. You have been for days now. Go on, spit it out."

Alfred found his blood pumping with irritation at Arthur's words and he lashed out. "Fine! It's your superiority complex! I hate it! What's it for, is it because you're a pureblood? That you treat everyone else like they're trash? Am I not good enough for you? Is that it—"

Blindly shouting whatever came to the tip of his tongue, Alfred didn't notice the way Arthur's eyebrows rose at the double meaning behind Alfred's last argument. But since Alfred didn't seem to notice anything wrong with what he said, Arthur let it go.

"— well you and your rich beliefs can go to hell!" Alfred finished, panting. There was an intense look in Arthur's eyes which made Alfred shudder.

"You idiot." Arthur said the moment Alfred finished ranting. "I _am_ feeling sorry about what happened today, can't you see that? It was an unfair win in our part, and I wish it could have been otherwise. As for you..." Arthur paused for a moment let his eyes flicker over Alfred. "I hate you because you're a pompous, boisterous little git, not because of your blood-status. Try and get that inside that thick head of yours, will you."

With that Arthur spun on the spot and walked away again, leaving Alfred standing there feeling more confused than ever before.

.

.

The first strange piece of mail Alfred received was from a regular barn owl. It was a haphazardly written on a piece of parchment:

_Touch him again, and I'll kill you._

Alfred burnt it straight away. Obviously not a message intended for him.

Gilbert was sitting beside him, looking strangely depressed for some reason.

"It's okay, Gilbert." Alfred told him. "We'll win the match next time!"

Gilbert sighed. "Alfred, do you think girls are cute?"

"Huh?" Alfred asked. A faint, unbidden flush rose up his cheeks. "I guess." He said, thinking about Kiku's cousin Meimei, she was a cute girl.

Gilbert gave him a look, like he hadn't expected Alfred to answer an affirmative. "Really? What about guys then?" He asked.

"Guys? What about them?" Alfred said. "Am I supposed to find guys cute? But they're not!"

"I know…" Gilbert groaned and placed his head into his hands. "My awesome life sucks!" He shouted suddenly and ran out of the Great Hall, several pairs of curious eyes following him.

"What's his problem?" Alfred heard Arthur ask at the Slytherin table.

Francis replied in a dreamy voice. "He's in love, _mon cher!_"

"Love? What do y—get _off_ me, frog!" Arthur's nose scrunched up adorably as he glared daggers at Francis. "What do you mean he's in love? He's thirteen!"

"Ahh... does age really matter, in matters of the heart?" Francis asked, stealing a caramel éclair from Arthur plate.

Alfred wondered then if people could really fall in love that young. His own parents had been young… but they divorced. Now his mother was married to someone else, and his father had created a whole new life in Canada, completely giving up custody over Matthew in the process.

_Love doesn't last_, Alfred decided. But he thought, as he watched Sesel kissing Tino on the cheek and Roderich and Elizabeta holding hands, that he wouldn't mind falling for someone at least once in his life.

.

.

The second strange letter arrived the next week on the day the Dueling Club was starting. It contained one line of messy writing:

_Stay away from him._

Alfred didn't know what to make of it. He showed it to Kiku who had proceeded to use several spells and charms to trace the letter back to its owner, but none worked.

"Be careful Alfred-san." Kiku told him. "Someone might have a grudge against you. Maybe you should tell someone about this?"

"What for?" Alfred had asked, shoving Pixie Puffs and milk down his throat. "It's probably a mistaken address."

He didn't really care. Alfred was feeling sufficiently refreshed nowadays. Slytherin had lost to Ravenclaw, so they'd have another chance to play against each other before the year was out. Alfred also couldn't help but feel very smug every time he saw Arthur walking down the corridors. The boy always had a look of fury on his face and a bluish bruise on his jaw... Alfred's work on him.

So by the time the Dueling Club rolled up, Alfred was sure that Arthur ready to go all out against him. The feeling was mutual.

The teacher in charge of them was a young witch, who began by pairing them up and checking their wands. Of course Alfred pushed past Francis and made sure he was standing in front of Arthur. Kiku gave Francis a low, apologetic sigh and the two of them paired up instead.

"American red oak, 14 inches, unyielding." The wizard checking their wands read from a piece of paper, taking Alfred's wand out of the checker for him. "Powdered Re'em horn core?"

Alfred nodded at him, and puffed out his chest proudly. Arthur's wand was next.

"Willow, 12 inches, stiff…" Alfred sniggered at the last word and Arthur glowered at him. "And... No! Does it really have a basilisk plume core?"

Arthur's smirk was smug. "It does." He answered cockily. "From the very same one found in the Chamber of Secrets at Hogwarts."

"Talk about the evil eye." Alfred said under his breath so only Arthur would hear him.

The witch was now looking over at the whole room and gave everyone stern looks. "Now everyone! You've all paired up, good. I hope you're all past the childishness of youth and can all obey the disarming-only rule?"

Alfred rolled his eyes. When had that rule ever actually worked in a room full of kids who had magic sticks in their hands? She might as well let a Hungarian Horntail roam free in a farm and politely asked it not to devour the cattle.

"Three – two – one—"

"Incendio!" Alfred yelled, letting out a plume of billowing fire at Arthur who put up a shield charm.

"Stupefy!" The older boy shouted back.

The witch in charge simply raised her arms in disbelief and shook her head as the whole room exploded in a flurry of smoke and multi-colored sparks.

"Incarcerous!" A rope tied itself around Alfred's feet and he tripped over.

"Finite Incantatem." He muttered, embarassed. "Tarantallegra!"

Arthur was a decent dancer, Alfred thought, as he watched him do the flamenco for a while, barely managing not to guffaw.

"Finite!" Arthur snarled, getting his hand to stop clapping long enough to cast the spell. "Anteoculatia!"

The red light hit Alfred in the face and he felt a sensation of intense heat on two circular zones of his head. When he moved a hand to touch his head, he found two bull-horns growing out of his skull. Alfred grinned as Arthur frowned. "Damn! I was going for reindeer antlers!"

"Thanks, Kirkland!" Alfred said, shooting a Levicorpus at Arthur. "I'll keep these on for the moment."

Upside down, Arthur fought to keep his shirt from falling over his face. Alfred looked up curiously at the jutting hipbones on Arthur's thin, pale waist.

"Holy Gryffindor, do you _eat_ Kirkland?" Alfred asked, laughing.

Alfred couldn't tell if Arthur's face was red from embarrassment or from the blood flowing to his head. Probably both.

"Argh!" Arthur yelled, get frustrated from flailing around. "Fumos!"

A cloud of grey smoke appeared around him in a shield, blocking Alfred's sight of him.

"Liberacorpus." He heard Arthur mutter and then heard the noise of a pair of feet landing.

"Flipendo!" Alfred yelled into the smoke-screen. Arthur who had obviously been ungainly on his feet tripped over and fell on his back. The smoke cleared and Alfred tackled Arthur before he could get up, straddling his hips and placed the tip of his wand against Arthur's throat.

"Haha!" He laughed childishly. "Gotcha!"

Arthur however was looking up at him furiously and… there was a hint of something else in his forest eyes as he took in Alfred's horns and his hovering form. Why was Arthur blushing like that?

Suddenly that didn't matter. Alfred's eyes were stinging like someone had put them on fire. His mouth opened in a pained scream and his eyes saw Arthur's horrorstruck face under him, blurring with every second. Then, Alfred couldn't open his eyes. The pain was intensifying. He felt himself fall face-forward into Arthur. The back of his eyes were burning… what were those falling down his cheeks, tears?

"Jones? Bloody hell… Jones!"

Alfred could barely think through the pain now… everything was slipping away so fast-

When Alfred regained consciousness again, he was on a soft bed on the hospital wing. He could tell that just from the overall smell of the place… and because he could hear Madame Pomfrey talking with someone not too far away.

He didn't open his eyes though. He couldn't. They were bandaged.

He recognized Matthew and Kiku's voices speaking. Then to his surprise, he heard Arthur talking as well.

"So he'll be fine? He'll see?" Arthur was saying in a low voice.

Kiku's voice was strained. "He'll need glasses for now… But with the surgery at St. Mungo's, his vision will be fully restored. Arthur-san, are you sure it was—"

"I'm quite certain." said Arthur again.

"What do we do about it?" Kiku asked.

"Nothing! It wasn't his fault." Arthur said quickly. "He's… different. Surely you've noticed. He's had a bad childhood. I think he did it without considering the consequences."

"So, we just pretend that nothing happened?" Came Matthew's incredulous voice.

"He said it was a mistake." Kiku said.

There was silence.

"This is rubbish." Came Matthew's wavering voice.

"Shhh…" Cooed Francis, who was there too apparently. There were sounds of sobbing and Francis's soothing tones. "It's okay..."

"It's not!" Matthew said. Alfred got slightly worried. Something really must be wrong with him because Matthew rarely ever raised his voice. "Nobody even realized that it was a Conjunctivitis Curse! What kind of a second year would be capable of producing that? If we had known… an Oculus Potion would have cleared Alfred right up-"

"Please be more optimistic." Alfred heard Kiku say. "We just have to be patient, like Madam Pomfrey said. St. Mungo's magical ophthalmology unit can return his original vision again with a surgery, once he's 17—"

"If that guy wasn't lunatic then Alfred wouldn't need any surgeries!"

"I agree with that, but it _was_ a mistake. I believe in Arthur-san and he obviously has a soft spot for the boy…"

"I'm so sorry." Arthur said suddenly. There was a movement from the bedsprings on the right side of Alfred's bed. "I think I'll—"

Alfred's hand shot out and grabbed hold of something which felt like fabric. From the startled gasp he received, Alfred deduced that it was Arthur's shirt.

"He's awake!" Francis called from further away.

There was scurrying of feet and Madam Pomfrey's voice sounded from beside him.

"Now then, finally awake Mr. Jones? Shall we sit you up?" She asked. Alfred let go of Arthur's shirt and felt the bed rising up by itself, tipping him forwards gently until he was sitting upright. "Now for the bandages."

They unraveled magically and disappeared with a faint pop.

"I want you to open your eyes, Mr. Jones. Slowly now."

"Okay." Alfred said. He opened them millimeter by millimeter, and found anxious faces all looking towards him. "That look _so_ doesn't suit you, Kirkland."

Matthew huffed, puffy-eyes. "I take back what I said. He's as healthy as a hippogriff." He grumbled.

"You love me for it." Alfred grinned at him.

Madam Pomfrey kept whisking her wand around his head. "How clearly can you see?"

Alfred tried to focus his eyes. He thought he should be more panicked about his now impaired sight, but he wasn't really. "I can see Kiku clearly, but I Matthew and Francis are kinda blurry. Haha, from here they look like a romantic couple actually."

Matthew jumped right out of Francis's arms.

"You're taking this bracingly." Arthur commented, his previously striken face now emotionless.

Alfred's eyes immediately went to the bruise on his jaw, then to the dittany covered gash on his throat. "Who gave you the cut?" He asked, frowning.

Arthur scowled. "Your horn did, you git."

Alfred remembered the bull horns he had on at the time of the incident, and how he had fallen into Arthur when the pain had stuck. His horn must have barely nicked Arthur… but Alfred could have impaled him.

"…I'm not dead, you idiot. Merlin, it was terrible enough with you blubbering all over me once. Don't start again now." Arthur said. Alfred's expression must have given something away. "You should be more worried about yourself, Jones. You're going to have to wear glasses now."

"I'll look good in anything." Alfred shrugged. "Mom said so."

"You're such a infant." Arthur growled the same time as Matthew muttered, "So childish..."

"So." Alfred took a deep breath, ignoring them. He decided to pretend he hadn't heard a word of what they'd been talking about. "What happened? What was it?"

"It was miscast spell, Mr. Jones." said Madame Pomfrey, but Alfred saw the way the others shared looks. "A student either said the wrong incantation or made the wrong wand movement. An unlucky mistake."

"Who did it?" Alfred asked casually and Arthur winced. Francis edged his way to Arthur who fell backward boneless onto his chest.

"We don't know." Madam Pomfrey said. "Of course the administration has Floo-called your parents. If you wish to file an official complaint then we'll look through the students and—"

"Wait! You told Mom?" Alfred asked.

"Of course!" Madam Pomfrey told him like he was five. "She has already sent your current eye power to the glass manufacturers. Don't worry, she took it well. She agreed that mistakes can happen."

_That's because she doesn't know that he did this to me on purpose…_ Alfred thought. He now knew who had been sending him the messages. It was obvious really. How could he have missed it? Furthermore, why was Arthur being so…passive about it?

"Great!" Alfred finally said. "So when can I get back on my Lightning?"

"How many fingers am I holding up Alfred?" Matthew asked.

Alfred squinted towards him. "On one or both of your hands?"

"Seeing double, young man." Madam Pomfrey said shaking her head. "Honestly..."

Matthew shot him a sad, understanding look. Alfred couldn't really tell, Matthew himself was a hazy blur.

"I'm guessing Quidditch is out of the question until I get myself a pair of glasses." He told his already bespectacled brother. "Hey, now everyone will know we're twins!"

Arthur got to his feet. "Excuse me, I really have somewhere I need to be. I'm sure you all can keep Jones well occupied." He said with a meaningful look towards Kiku and Matthew, and pulled Francis away along with him, without another look at the rest of them. Francis waved at them as he was dragged away and blew a silly kiss at Matthew who flushed back at him.

Alfred didn't have time to give their abrupt departure much thought because the next moment, Alfred's mother marched into the room with loud, "Alfred, my baby!" She rushed over and enveloped him in a bone-crushing hug.

Everything else was forgotten for the moment.

.

.

Alfred did even get to see Arthur much after that until the end of the year. It was like Arthur was avoiding him on purpose… again. Alfred had been replaced by a reserve team member, but he had still gone to see the last Gryffindor versus Slytherin match. To his great dismay, Arthur called in sick. He wasn't even at the stands to listen to Alfred taunts when Gryffindor won the match and the cup.

Not that it mattered or anything.

It was almost like Arthur felt guilty about the spell Ivan had cast at him, but why would he?

Not like Alfred found the time to ask Arthur about it or anything.

Matthew and Kiku _did_ keep him occupied most of the time. They had to be doing it for a reason! Alfred had taken to staring at Arthur a lot, as if his gaze would work out the secrets from the very image of the English boy himself. He watched Arthur when the boy made tea in the mornings, when he walked down the corridor assiduously avoiding Alfred's eyes, when he was chatting with Francis or Ivan.

Finally, it was on the return trip to Kings Cross that Alfred reached his final straw. It was when he found himself face to face with Arthur in front of the sweet trolley and the latter swiftly turned around and returned to the compartment beside theirs, nearly shattering the door in his haste.

Alfred lost his appetite for the first time on the Express. He managed to thank the trolley witch before slamming the door to his own compartment shut. Kiku and Matthew looked up at him warily.

"Didn't you get anything to eat?" Matthew asked confusedly.

"Nah!" Alfred said, barely keeping his voice in check. "I'm kinda excited. Mom sent me letter saying those glasses were ready. I'll be able to see you guys at distance again!"

"Oh… that's nice." Kiku said warily, obviously noticing something off about Alfred.

"Hmm, I know right?" Alfred said, checking his nails carelessly. "Hey, with my sight back, you think I'll finally be able to pummel Braginski for what he did to me?"

"A-Alfred-san... we-"

"You knew?"

It was so worth it, to see the stricken faces of his brother and his best friend. After they had all recovered from their shock, Alfred released the bombshell which had been bugging him for days. "Can someone tell me why nobody went to tell the Headmistress that a guy nearly blinded me in petty retribution?"

Kiku sighed. "Ivan thought that you were trying to take his only friend away from him. He reacted without thinking. It really was a miscast spell, just full of his blind anger. He cried afterwards for what he did, his actions hurt Arthur too remember?"

People could really do that? Feel so strongly about someone or something that they would lose control over their magic?

"Oh yeah?" Alfred said, feeling more angered at the thought of Arthur. "And what's so special about Braginski that _he_ has such a huge _soft spot_ for him?"

Matthew gasped. "You _were_ awake!" He said accusatorily. "That time at the hospital wing!"

"Yeah, so what if I was." Alfred grumbled. "Well... What is it?"

"That's not our story to tell." Kiku said.

Alfred let out a shrewd laugh. "Dude, I almost lost my sight! I think I have the right to know."

Not that he cared about what others owed him, he just really wanted to know Arthur secrets. It was like an itch he desired to satisfy, even more so now that the year was at its end.

"You won't get it Alfred." Matthew told him exasperatedly. "I promise I'll tell you… but not today. You just won't understand it yet."

"Why, because I'm not as emotionally mature as you are? You're twelve too!" Alfred scoffed, then paused thoughtfully. "It can't be because of that whole 'big brother' thing we saw at the Astronomy Tower in our first year? Is it Kiku?"

Kiku's eyes widened. "You're surprisingly close, but not exactly." He said.

"Okay… Then let me get something straight." Alfred said, closing his eyes. "Why's he helping Braginski at all? Does he think he's responsible or something for what the guy did? Because he isn't... That's just stupid."

"I wouldn't say that." Kiku replied thoughtfully.

"We- Kiku and I- only recently learnt just how messed up Arthur's life is." Matthew said, and Alfred thought back to the time he'd seen Arthur with his bother at King's Cross. "But you might be right, maybe he's doing this to himself."

Kiku looked like he wanted to retort so Alfred interjected. "So what now? Kirkland the Great is gonna ignore me for all eternity because he feels _guilty_?"

"Does that bother you?" Kiku asked him curiously.

Alfred spluttered despite himself. "Wha—of course not! Why would it bother me? He can do whatever he wants. Why should I care? I don't care. I'm not a petty child-"

"Could have fooled me." Matthew muttered, but he was smiling.

There was a knock on their compartment glass and Alfred turned to find a pale figure with platinum hair looking at them.

Alfred nodded to his brother and Kiku before going out into the train corridor, closing the compartment door behind him.

"Hey." Alfred said carefully, his voice neither friendly nor hostile.

Ivan's eyes scrutinized him carefully. "I don't know if they told you about-"

"I heard." Alfred interjected, narrowing his eyes.

"I came to apologize." Ivan said without preamble. "I… I don't really know what happened. One second I was practicing dueling, and the next moment I really hated you."

Why indeed? Because Ivan wanted to monopolize Arthur's attention?

"I should have realized..." Alfred felt like smacking himself on the forehead. "You did warn me after all. Those letters were from you, right?"

Ivan didn't even bother to deny it. Alfred suddenly remembered the way Ivan had stared up at Arthur last year… like a person living in an icy tundra feeling heat for the first time.

"Look, I get that it was a mistake." Alfred said. "And I'm even willing to forgive you, just this once. I get that there's stuff going on with you and Kirkland that- are complicated. But really, you need to relax. I'm not talking about what happened to just me—_Heck_, I don't even wanna be friends with him! But Kirkland _does_ have other friends, and if you hurt them the way you hurt me, then Arthur _will_ stop liking you."

Ivan's brows rose, like he had never considered that possibility. "He was very sad when he heard about you."

"Exactly! He's feeling this guilty over someone he hates. Imagine how sad he'll be if you ever did anything to… I dunno, someone like Francis, or Gilbert." Alfred told him.

"I don't feel as much animosity for any of his friends, as I feel for you." Ivan confided.

Alfred shrugged. "I don't see why."

Ivan gave him a calculating look. "You say that you'll never be friends with him?"

"Definitely! I hate Arthur Kirkland! He hates me back" Alfred said, wondering why he was comforting the guy when it should be the other way around. "Dude, to tell the truth, I don't get why you got mad while we were dueling. We were fighting with each other that's all!"

Ivan's violet eyes seemed to stare right into Alfred's. "Fine... I'll take your word for it." He raised his hand to shake Alfred's.

Alfred stared at it for a while. Taking this hand would mean denying the possibility of friendship with Arthur forever. "I can still be his enemy right?" Alfred asked.

"Sure." Ivan said, half-smiling. "Anything but his friend."

They shook hands.

.

.

Ivan was currently speaking to Mr. and Mrs. Jones, while Alfred stood in the background with Kiku and Matthew.

"I have informed the Headmistress of my actions and she said that she will speak to my guardians." He said very seriously. "If you need anything for the surgery in the future, I can pay for it when once I'm 17 and I receive my inheritance. My ancestors were very rich."

"Oh no, it's all right. Isn't it, sweetheart?" Amelia Jones asked her husband. "Don't worry about the costs dear, our insurance will cover it."

George Jones smiled at Ivan with his best parental pose, and Alfred internally groaned at his step-father's antics. "Certainly! Alfred will learn from the hardships in his life. This is just one of the many obstacles he will have to face. You're forgiven as long as you feel sorry for what you've done."

"I am sorry." Ivan said immediately in his usual monotone.

Alfred didn't know why he didn't feel as pleased about this turn of events as he should. He still felt oddly... vindictive. After Ivan left, and Alfred's parents were busy talking with Kiku's, Alfred spotted Arthur at a distance talking to several boys dressed in strange muggle clothes. Kiku and Matthew themselves were busy having some kind of argument over Gobstones, so Alfred decided that they wouldn't miss him for the moment.

"Erm… Hey! Kirkland." He said, walking over.

One of the boys Arthur was standing with looked up at him and snickered. "Kirkland? What's this he's calling you Arthur? Is it a pet-name?" The boy had at least seven hoops around the rim of his ear.

"Nothing, Bart! Just wait for me, yeah? I'll be right back, you lot!" Arthur turned to Alfred and quickly pulled him away behind the nearest station pillar, ignoring Alfred's confused look at the jeers and catcalls they were receiving. "What do you want? Don't you have your glasses yet?"

"Yeah, I'll—" Alfred felt his lips curl upwards. "Don't tell me you actually _care_, Kirkland?"

"Stop calling me that!" Arthur hissed, looking around behind them at the boys again. "Call me Arthur."

"If you insist..." Alfred said, glancing over curiously at the boys too. "I resolved my problem with Ivan. Are you going to stop ignoring me now?"

"What? H-How preposterous!" Arthur's cheeks immediately turned a deep pink. "I was doing no such thing! Ignoring you? Nonsense!"

"Yeah right!" Alfred snorted.

"Why would you care anyway?" Arthur asked. "Shouldn't you be happy that you're getting to see less of me?"

Alfred sighed. "You want the real truth? I just don't feel right unless I have a sufficient amount of hate from you every day. I know it's crazy! Didn't Ivan tell you what our deal was about?"

"He did…" Arthur looked troubled. His eyes kept flickering back to the gaggle of boys, several of whom, Alfred noticed were rolling cigarettes. "I— I have to go now Jones."

"Wait a second!" Alfred reached out and grabbed Arthur collar to stop him. "Why're you going with _those_ guys? They look… weird. Where's your brother?"

"That's none of your—"

"Hey! I'm just asking out of general concern you big jerk!"

Arthur glared at him. "Those guys are my brother's friends. If you must know, I very recently came to terms with the importance of family— and with... erm, something else about myself. I'd feel hypocritical if I didn't go see my brother this summer."

"What was it?" Alfred asked curiously.

"What was _what_?" Arthur asked exasperatedly.

"The other thing you came to terms with about yourself?"

Arthur pulled free from Alfred's grip. "I'm not telling you! You won't even understand if I did." He said, a fresh blush on his cheek. "You're too young."

"Funny, I've been hearing that a lot today." Alfred scowled. He was almost thirteen for Merlin's sake!

Arthur simply shot him his usual sneer and walked away, without even saying goodbye.

But this time, Alfred watched him until he disappeared completely from sight.

* * *

**AN/: At one (insignificant, almost overlooked) point in this chapter, Arthur had the huge epiphany that he was actually attracted to boys (namely Alfred)! I don't know if you guys caught that moment... **

**Just to warn y'all, the next chapter may have some more slightly hinted at pairings.**

**(PruAus, Franada, Spamano...) I'm soooo sorry if you don't like them. They'll be very slight!**


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